Homemade Cavatelli from Scratch (Egg Free Pasta Recipe)

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• Cavatelli is made using egg free pasta dough
• Cavatelli pasta is great with a your favorite sauce!
• This simple recipe is easy to make at home
• Requires just a few ingredients
• Homemade pasta is perfect to make ahead and freeze

What is Cavatelli Pasta?

Cavatelli is a type of pasta that is usually hand made from very simple ingredients. The name cavatelli means "little hollows" in Italian. Cavatelli is often referred to as one of the oldest pasta shapes coming from Italy. It is very easy to make by hand and traditionally only has two ingredients - flour and water.

Cavatelli comes from Southern Italy in the regions from Abruzzo to Basilicata and in Sicily, but is said to have originated in Molise. The shape is very famous in the regions of Molise and Apulia. It can also be found in Sardinia as well by a different name, but it is essentially the same. In Sardinia, this shape will have ridges and is referred to as gnocchetti sardi or malloreddus.

To make cavatelli, dough made with durum wheat semola flour (semolina flour) are rolled out into ropes and cut into small pieces. Then the dough is flattened and pulled at the same time to create a hollowed shell-like shape that somewhat resembles a small boat, hot dog bun or sea shell. Cavatelli can be made in a number of ways, including with fingers (1,2,or 3), a thumb, a knife or a paddle. We've even made it with a fancier design by pressing it across a cheese grater. The dough usually doesn’t contain eggs but it can. 

Ingredients

Our version of cavatelli pasta is made with a combination of durum wheat semola flour (semolina) and Italian Tipo 00 flour. We also add a touch of salt and olive oil to give it a bit more flavor. Here is what you need to make this recipe for homemade cavatelli pasta:

• Durum Wheat Semola Flour (Semolina): Half of the flour used in this recipe is durum wheat semolina flour, enhancing the texture and giving this pasta a perfect mouthfeel. 
• Tipo “00” Flour: This pasta and pizza flour is finely ground and is the other half of the cavatelli flour to balance the harder wheat flour for a better mouthfeel.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Just a small amount of EVOO to flavor the pasta.
• Kosher Salt
• Water

See recipe card below for quantities and full recipe.

Substitutions

Here is a good substitution for the ingredients in this recipe:

• Flours: You could use all-purpose flour in place of the Tipo “00” flour, if desired. You could also use 100% semolina or 100% tipo “00” in this recipe instead of using the combination of flours we have here.

Equipment

Here is what you need to make this easy recipe

• A flat work surface that isn’t too smooth so you can generate enough friction to make the cavatelli. We like using a wooden board, cutting board or bread board, but you can make these on almost any hard flat surface like your counter tops.
• A gnocchi board (optional) - you can use a gnocchi board to create ridges if desired, but it isn't necessary. 

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Make the Dough

• Place the flour on a clean work surface and make a well in the middle of the flour. Add the oil, water and salt and incorporate with a fork until you can work it with your hands. Knead the dough, using the heel of your hand to push down onto the flat surface and rotating the dough as you knead. Repeat this until the dough is smooth and bounces back when you press it with your finger. This process takes about 10 minutes.

Step 2: Shape and Rest the Dough

• Make a disc with the dough ball about 2 inches thick and wrap it in plastic wrap. Let it rest for at least 15 minutes or up to 3 hours at room temperature.

Step 3: Shape the Dough into Cavatelli

• To shape cavatelli, divide the dough into eight pieces (thin slices of the disc work best here). Roll each piece into a thin long rope about ¼” (6mm) thick. Using a bench scraper or knife, cut the rope into small pieces, between ½” and 1” depending on how large you want the cavatelli to be.
• Next, depending on the size of your fingers, press each piece down with 1-3 fingers or your thumb and drag it toward you to create an indentation in the segment. The edges will curl slightly to give you the cavatelli shape. You could also use a knife or the bench scraper along with a gnocchi board if you want grooves on your cavatelli.
• Once made, they can be used immediately or left to dry out at room temperature for use any time. The longer the cavatelli dry, the longer they will take to cook, so you will need to add more cooking time on for fully dried cavatelli pasta.

Step 4: Cook the Cavatelli

• To cook the cavatelli, begin by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil (about 2 tablespoon of salt per 6-8 quarts of water). Add the cavatelli and cook for 4-5 minutes. Taste after 4 minutes and if they aren't quite done, taste again 1 minute later. They should take 4-5 minutes if used fresh (add more time for dried cavatelli or frozen cavatelli). Drain in a colander and use with any pasta sauce you choose.

Variations

Here are a couple ways to change up this recipe:

• Add herbs to the cavatelli. Dried herbs work well if you aren’t using them right away, but fresh can also be used as long as you don’t plan on storing the cavatelli for long. Basil and oregano work especially well.
• You can also use spices, such as black pepper or red pepper flakes, in the cavatelli to give it an interesting flavor.

Storage

How to store homemade cavatelli pasta:

• Since there aren’t eggs in these cavatelli, you can place them in a single layer on a sheet tray to dry out completely at room temperature - this will take about 3 days. You can then store them in a paper bag in the pantry until ready to us. The dried cavatelli should last several months if dried properly. You can also store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container if you use fresh herbs in them for up to 5 days.

Can you freeze homemade cavatelli?

• You can also freeze cavatelli if you don't want to wait for them to dry. These cavatelli freeze very well and will keep for 6 months.

What sauces to make with Homemade Cavatelli

Cavatelli is such a versatile pasta that can be enjoyed with a variety of sauces! Across southern Italy, you can find many versions of cavatelli from meaty ragù sauces to seafood, seasonal veggies, a classic tomato sauce (sugo) and creamy sauces. Here are a few options we know you will love with this cavatelli:

• Spicy Italian Sausage Sauce
• Homemade Basil Pesto
• Fresh Cherry Tomato Sauce
• Red Wine Slow Braised Italian Beef Ragù